


Consequences and Precious Gifts

by ZDcookie_996



Series: Paddock Baby [31]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Austin 2021, Charles and Mick getting hounded by the press, Crying, Homophobic Language, M/M, Mick is stressed, Reunions, Russia 2021, The paddock finds out, The press finds out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:56:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29593149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZDcookie_996/pseuds/ZDcookie_996
Summary: Mick and Charles deal with the fallout of their affair as the paddock find out about everything.
Relationships: Charles Leclerc/Mick Schumacher
Series: Paddock Baby [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538881
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	Consequences and Precious Gifts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Herovillain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Herovillain/gifts).



> Hello everyone! Here is a sequel to 'Secrets in Switzerland' where Mick and Charles are forced to deal with the consequences of their affair as the paddock find out. This is probably unrealistic and is mainly set towards the end of the 2021 season but it will probably be ongoing, I just wanted to write more so about the immediate consequences. There's only so much I can write future wise because of covid so I've done my best! I have a few prompts to work on, the only reason I'm not doing them immediately is because I don't like to write about the same stories all the time. I do have a list which helps me know what to write next and it also stops me from writing about the same pairings etc all the time. Hope you all enjoy and please continue to leave prompts!

Charles stayed with Mick and Noah before he had to travel to Russia. He felt relaxed as he didn’t have to worry about racing and he could ignore everything else as he juggled the parental responsibilities between himself and Mick. They managed to work around Charles spending time in the gym, the Monegasque grateful for the fact that Mick had a home gym. All too soon, he had to get ready to go to Russia. Mick watched him pack whilst Corinna was looking after Noah. She had welcomed Charles when he had returned but stayed away from the couple, purely to give them some space. She made no comment to the fact that he had now been living in the house for around a week. It was none of her business. 

“I’ll miss you.” Said Mick, softly.

Charles paused and looked up at the German. He smiled and zipped up his suitcase before he stood up and walked towards Mick. They wrapped their arms around each other and Mick rested his head on Charles’ shoulder.

“I’ll miss you too, you and Noah.” Murmured Charles.

He gently kissed Mick’s temple before he sighed and pulled away as he went to go and grab his suitcase. 

Before he left, he cradled Noah in his arms.

“I’ll be back before you know it.” Whispered Charles.

He gently kissed his son’s forehead before he carefully passed him to Mick. He kissed the German’s forehead and then opened the door to the taxi.

“Will you call me when you get to the hotel?” Asked Mick.

Charles smiled.

“Of course.”

The car door slammed shut and the taxi left the driveway. When Mick turned around to head back into the house, Corinna was standing in the doorway. He raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not saying anything.” She said, quietly.

She turned and headed back into the house leaving Mick holding his son out on the driveway. He sighed and looked down at the baby in his arms before he made his way into the house.

Charles hadn’t thought about what to do when he next saw Pierre. He knew in the back of his mind that he would see the Frenchman in the hotel and around the paddock but he didn’t know what to say or do. Pierre passed Charles as the Monegasque was checking into the hotel. He grabbed his arm to stop him but Pierre shook him off and kept on walking.

“Pierre!”

Charles sighed knowing that things were going to be awkward from now on. He had lost Pierre and there was nothing he could do to change that. 

As he stepped into the paddock on Thursday morning, he could almost feel Daniel glaring daggers at him as he made his way to the motorhome. It wasn’t normal, everyone knew that Daniel nearly always had a smile on his face so something was wrong. The Aussie came towards him and Charles stopped.

“Can we talk?” Asked Daniel, seriously.

Charles looked around the paddock and nodded nervously.

“I don’t know what’s happened between you and Pierre but just stay away from him. You’ve treated him like dirt and a guy like Pierre doesn’t deserve that. He was really upset when he came into the paddock and all he mentioned was not to trust you.” Said Daniel.

Charles just stared at him with wide eyes. Daniel shook his head.

“I’ll be keeping my eye on you.” He warned.

He walked away leaving Charles to think about what Daniel had just said. Had Pierre told Daniel about Mick and Noah? He didn’t know but he was worried about what Pirre had said. He had to trust the Frenchman and pray that his ex had kept quiet about his secret.

Charles thought he could get away with it, not telling anyone about Mick or Noah. He carried on going to races and would go to visit Mick and their son when he could. All of it was about to blow up in his face. 

A couple of days before Charles was due to fly out to Austin, he was woken up by his phone ringing. He blearily rubbed a hand over his face, realising also that his phone was not the only phone ringing. Mick reached out for his phone and hit the call button before he climbed out of bed and headed out of the bedroom. Charles reluctantly picked up his own phone to answer it but made the mistake of not checking who was calling him.

“Is it true?” 

Charles frowned.

“Is what true?” He questioned.

There was a frustrated sigh on the other end of the phone so Charles took a moment to check the caller ID. It was Mattia, his team principal.

“Are you dating Mick and are you the father of his baby?” Asked Mattia.

Charles immediately sat up in bed and was now wide awake. How could Mattia know? Was he missing something? He gulped as he tried to think about how to answer. Mattia could obviously hear him stuttering so decided that clearly Charles had no idea what he was talking about.

“There are reports online and all over social media that you were in a relationship with Pierre and then dumped him because you cheated on him with Mick, not only that but you’re the father of his baby.” Stated Mattia.

Charles instantly felt sick. It was true, every single bit of that statement was true. The question was, who had said something? Someone had either gone to the press or worked it out but it was literally impossible so someone must have told a journalist and then other sources picked up on it. Charles really didn’t want to check his social media, it was probably going wild right now. 

“Fuck.” He mumbled under his breath.

“Is it true?” Asked Mattia.

Charles closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

“Yes, it’s true.”

“All of it?” 

“Yes.” Whispered Charles.

There was another sigh and this time, Charles opened his eyes.

“Can you come to Maranello as soon as possible?” Asked Mattia.

“Yes, I’ll book a flight today.” Replied Charles, quietly.

“This is a big mess, Charles, I hope you realise this.” 

The call ended. Charles slumped against the cushions. Almost immediately, his phone began ringing again. When he looked at the caller ID, he saw it was his mum. After a moment of debating on whether or not to answer, he hit the call button. 

“Mum.”

“Darling, have you looked at social media today?” Asked Pascale.

Charles nearly sighed, he didn’t even know what time it was and he was getting asked questions he didn’t really want to answer.

“No but I know what you’re going to say.” He replied.

“What’s that?”

Charles ran a hand through his hair.

“I’ve just had Mattia on the phone, it’s online and on social media but I’ve not read anything.” He said.

“Charles, this is big.” Insisted Pascale.

“I know, mum. Mattia wants me to go to Maranello as soon as I can.” Said Charles.

“Do you think someone has told the press?” Asked Pascale.

“I don’t know, I honestly don’t know but Mick and I haven’t said anything to anyone.” 

There was silence on the end of the phone for a minute.

“You know I wouldn’t tell anyone anything, I wouldn’t talk to journalists.” Said Pascale, softly.

“I know you wouldn’t do that, mum.” Insisted Charles.

There were only a few people who knew. He couldn’t imagine his mum or Corinna talking to the press and Mick definitely wouldn’t say a word. Pierre knew, would he have told anyone? Pascale cleared her throat.

“Charles.”

She paused and it made Charles nervous.

“What is it?”

“I did tell your brothers.” Admitted Pascale.

Charles hit his head against the headboard as tears gathered in his eyes. He shouldn’t be surprised but he was a little upset that his mum had told someone else about the situation, even if it was his brothers.

“I only told them because Pierre was still living here. They had to know, Charles. I’m sorry, I know it wasn’t my place but I had to tell them in case they saw Pierre in the street or something. You’ve been living in Switzerland recently, they were going to notice at some point that you weren’t around.” Rambled Pascale.

Charles could hear the guilt in his mum’s voice. He should’ve sat down with his brothers but he didn’t think about it at the time, his priority had been to speak to Pierre and then return to Mick. He was caught up in his thoughts that he only just heard his mum saying his name.

“Sorry, mum. I was just thinking.” 

“No, darling. I’m the one who should be sorry for telling your brothers. I should've left it to you.” Pascale apologised.

“Mum, it’s alright. I should’ve spoken to them but this is all my fault, this is such a big mess.” Said Charles, softly.

“Just don’t look at social media right now.” Warned Pascale.

Charles nodded even though his mum couldn’t see him. 

“Mum, I have to go, I need to book a flight.” He said, gently.

“I’ll let you go but I’ll call you later.” Replied Pascale.

They exchanged goodbyes and the call ended. Charles dropped his phone next to him on the bed, ignoring the way it constantly vibrated. He had to ignore the messages. Eventually, he climbed out of bed, grabbed his phone and went in search of Mick. He found the German in their son’s room, cradling Noah in his arms. He could hear Mick whispering but he couldn’t make out what he was saying. Mick’s phone lay on the window sill, vibrating much like Charles’ phone was doing. 

“Hey.”

Mick turned around and then gazed down at Noah who was sleeping.

“Who was on the phone?” Asked Charles.

“Gunether.” Replied Mick.

Charles nearly shuddered.

“Mattia was on the phone, I need to book a flight to Maranello. He wants to see me.” He replied.

Mick looked up at him again.

“It’s online, I haven’t looked at anything but it’s all online and on social media. People won’t stop messaging me.” 

Charles didn’t say anything.

“Why is it online?” Asked Mick, sadly.

Charles sighed.

“I don’t know, Mick. i really don’t know.”

Mick sniffed and Charles felt his heart break. The German gazed back down at Noah.

“I need to go and book a flight.” Said Charles.

Mick didn’t respond and Charles left the room to get dressed and booked a flight through his phone. Charles found Mick and Corinna hugging in the kitchen when he came down for breakfast. The two of them pulled apart and they turned to look at Charles who was standing helplessly in the doorway. He tried to ignore the fact that Corinna was practically blanking him and it wasn’t until he realised that Mick’s eyes were red that he understood why. 

Saying goodbye to Mick was awkward. Neither Corinna or Mick had offered to take Charles to the airport and so the Monegasque had called a taxi. The two young men didn’t hug or kiss. Mick just stood in the doorway and watched Charles step into the back of the taxi then closed the door once the taxi was out of sight.

There was a tense atmosphere when Charles arrived at Maranello. He considered himself lucky that only a few people approached him at the airport but no one had mentioned Mick, Pierre or Noah. The receptionist was staring at him whilst he twiddled his thumbs, waiting to be called into Mattia’s office. When he was finally allowed in, he slowly made his way to the office, not quite prepared for what he was about to hear.

“This is a big mess, Charles and you didn’t think to inform us beforehand so this has blown up out of nowhere.” Said Mattia, sternly.

Charles nearly shrunk back in his seat.

“Mattia, I haven’t looked at anything. I have no idea if someone has told the press or what’s going on. I can only apologise for the mess it puts the team in.” Replied Charles, softly.

The team principal sat back in his seat.

“You know it’s not just the fact that you’re the father of Mick’s baby, you cheated on Pierre. Someone has clearly said something to somebody.” 

Charles didn’t know what to say.

“Do you think Pierre would say anything to anyone?” Asked Mattia.

Charles shrugged and Mattia sighed.

“You will need to talk to Silvia before you leave. Austin is going to be chaotic PR wise.” 

Charles felt sick again. He was due to leave in a couple of days. Things were only going to get worse.

“I’m sorry.” Murmured Charles.

Mattia shook his head.

“This is going to be difficult, Charles, not just for you but for the team, Mick, Pierre.” 

Charles looked down at his lap, he couldn’t look Mattia in the eye anymore.

“We will continue to support you but please be aware that this affair and your child will bring about big consequences.” Warned Mattia.

The young driver finally looked up and nodded. 

“Go and see Silvia then you can go. I’ll see you in Austin.” Said Mattia.

Charles slowly got up from his seat and walked out of his office as he went to find Silvia. The two of them ended up talking for awhile about what types of questions would be coming Charles’ way in the paddock at Austin. He tried not to sulk as he thought about what answers he would have to give. The only problem that faced them was how to deal with the social media comments but considering that Charles hadn’t looked at anything, they decided to leave it. In Silvia’s opinion, it was probably better to ignore it. 

As Charles left Maranello, he wasn’t feeling any better about the situation. It was easy to some degree to ignore comments and posts on social media but there was no avoiding the press in Austin. 

Charles couldn’t believe his eyes when the taxi pulled up outside Mick’s house where there was a mob of journalists standing out at the gates. He ducked down in his seat but someone had obviously seen him and he could see a flash from a camera. He sighed once the taxi made it into the grounds and was away from the mob. They knew that he was there and they clearly knew that Mick lived in the house. He didn’t know what to make of the fact that the front door was open but no one was there. He thanked the taxi driver before he stepped out of the vehicle and headed into the house, closing the door behind him. It wasn’t until the door was closed that he found Corinna glaring at him from where she was hovering near the living room door, arms crossed over her chest. Charles didn’t know what to say or do but it was clear that Corinna was angry.

“There are people outside at the gates.” He pointed out uselessly.

“Really now, Charles?” Asked Corinna, sarcastically.

The Monegasque had no idea how long anyone had been outside for, he didn’t want to know and he really didn’t want to ask Corinna. 

“They have been there since the early afternoon. I couldn’t even take Angie for a proper walk, I just had to go around the grounds because they would’ve followed me.” Said Corinna.

It meant that the mob had turned up at some point after Charles left to go to the airport.

“I won’t be surprised if they are here all week, they will probably follow you to the airport.” Said Corinna, seriously.

Charles swallowed nervously, he really hoped it wouldn’t happen.

“Where’s Mick?” He asked, softly.

“In his room. Guenther facetimed him earlier. His phone has been ringing no stop and he isn’t even racing right now.” 

Corinna was clearly pointing out that Mick was getting grief and Charles knew that whilst he would probably have a hard time in the paddock, it would be a different story to Mick.

“Have you read anything online?” Asked Charles, nervously.

Corinna raised an eyebrow.

“There is a lot of negativity in this world, there are positives but sometimes the negativity drowns it out. I hope you know what you’ve let yourself in for.” 

She walked away and left Charles standing in front of the doorway. She was clearly angry with him and she had every right to be. If Mick was upset or stressed then Corinna would be worried and it really didn’t help that Mick was looking after Noah full time. 

He headed up the stairs and took a moment to glance into Noah’s room. He was worried when he noticed that Noah wasn’t in his crib but then he thought that maybe he was with Mick. his thoughts were right as he peeked into Mick’s room and saw the German lying on the bed next to a Moses basket in which their son was sleeping. 

“Hey.” 

Mick barely acknowledged him and Charles didn’t know what to do. He went and sat down on the bed, gazing down at Mick, he placed his hand on the German’s leg.

“I’ve been trying to ignore it all. My phone hasn’t stopped vibrating all day.” Murmured Mick.

Charles sighed.

“I had to talk to Silvia after I met Mattia because I’m probably going to get asked a lot of questions in Austin.” He said.

Mick sighed.

“Your mum told me that Guenther facetimed you.” Said Charles.

Mick just nodded.

“How did that go?”

“Guenther’s probably thankful that I’m not racing right now and I don’t have to talk to anyone.” 

Mick didn’t say anything else and Charles chose not to ask anymore questions.

“We’ll get through this.” Murmured Charles.

He felt saddened as Mick scoffed.

“This is only the beginning.” Insisted Mick.

They had no idea that Mick was indeed correct. 

It was never ending.

When Charles left to go to the airport, there were people hanging around outside at the gates and he was sure that people followed him there. Security refused to do anything in the airport as Charles was surrounded by people, some wanted autographs but many were asking questions. He just kept his mouth shut as he made his way through to the departure gate. 

Thankfully, no one bothered him on the plane. He fell asleep for most of the flight and it wasn’t until he woke up not long before landing that he dreaded leaving the plane. 

Security did do something but only because he was overwhelmed with people as he stepped into the airport in Austin. Andrea was picking him up and he met Charles before they rushed over to the car and sped away from everyone. Charles rested his head against the headrest, hand messing up his hair.

“It’s been mad, huh?”

Charles snorted.

“Andrea, this is a mess.” 

“We’ve not even stepped into the paddock yet.” Andrea pointed out. 

Suddenly, Charles wished he could turn the car around and head back to the airport so he could fly away but it wouldn’t solve anything. 

There were people standing outside the hotel when they arrived. Charles had no idea how they knew that he would be staying there. Either someone had tipped them off or it was down to the fact that most of the teams were staying there. Andrea dragged him into the hotel where he was forced to ignore people calling him different names. Cheater, gay, poof. Those were just some of the words swirling in Charles’ head. 

Charles had called Mick to see how things were back in Switzerland but the German just sounded miserable and it made Charles feel guilty for asking.

“There are still people outside the gates. I don’t want to take Noah out but he needs fresh air so I have to be careful. I just want them to go away, Charles.”

Charles held back his frustration at the distance between himself and Mick. He really wanted to be with the German right now but it was impossible and then he would be travelling to Mexico not long after the race. 

“Can you not call the police?” Asked Charles.

Mick sighed.

“We did but until someone does something like try and climb over the gates or something, there’s nothing they can do.” He said, sadly. 

Charles was angry.

“Nothing they can do, surely there must be something?” 

“They aren’t on private property. If we had no gates and they were right outside the door, it would be a different story.” 

Charles sighed. 

“I wish I wasn’t going to Mexico after this.” 

Mick scoffed.

“Don’t remind me.”

They spoke for a while as Charles decided to talk about different subjects to take Mick’s mind away from everything. At one point, Mick yawned and Charles suggested that he should take a nap. The German agreed and they said goodbye to one another with Charles insisting that Mick avoid social media. There was no response to his warning so Charles could only hope that Mick wouldn’t read any comments about himself.

Charles wasn’t prepared for media day. It was probably a good idea to get it over and done with before he drove in the car but he really didn’t want to speak to the press. He was bombarded left, right and centre as he walked into the paddock. It had been the same as he left the hotel but at least in the paddock, security could do something. Ferrari had clearly paid the security guards extra or it felt like it as Charles was greeted by multiple guards upon arrival. 

The first thing he did when he went into the motorhome was sit down with Silvia. Whilst he wanted to say that he didn’t want to speak to anyone, it was impossible. There were media obligations and so he had to talk to people. 

The press conference was a nightmare. Almost every question was directed at Charles and nearly every single one of them had something to do with Mick, Pierre or Noah. The only question that was related to the car or the race came from Tom Clarkson. That was it. 

When he left the press conference, Carlos patted his shoulder in sympathy. 

“I want to say it will get better, Charles, but this is big news in the paddock. I’m not going to give my opinion to anyone because your relationship is of new concern to me. As long as you are driving the car and getting results, that’s all that matters.” Insisted Carlos.

Charles felt himself relax a little knowing that his teammate wasn’t judging him but the same couldn’t be said for other teams or drivers. 

The same questions hit him in the media pen.

“Is it true that you were with Pierre Gasly and are now in a relationship with Mick Schumacher?”

“Are you the father of Mick Schumacher’s baby?”

“How does Pierre feel about your affair?”

“Is it true that you cheated on Pierre?”

“Will these questions pose as a distraction as you prepare to drive this weekend?”

Charles sighed when he stepped into the motorhome. He didn’t have to answer any more questions. For now.

He bumped into Pierre in the hotel that night. He had just left the car and when Pierre walked past him. All he could think about was whether or not Pierre had told anyone. In his mind, there were only a few people who would actually talk to the press and only a number of people were aware of the situation. He couldn’t control his mind and he stormed after Pierre as the Frenchman walked in the direction of his room. Charles shoved his foot in the door and stepped into the room. At first, Pierre was surprised that someone had followed him and then when he noticed it was Charles, he wasn’t impressed.

“Get out!” He ordered.

Charles glared at his ex.

“Did you tell the press?” He asked.

Pierre frowned.

“Excuse me?”

“Did you tell the press?” Repeated Charles.

Pierre couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He ran a hand through his hair and turned away from Charles before he glared at him.

“Do you really think I would tell the press, Charles? They hounded me in the press conference as well you know. I’m back in Dubai now so you can have your apartment back.” 

Charles couldn’t tell if Pierre was telling the truth.

“You haven’t said anything to anyone? He asked in disbelief.

Pierre scoffed.

“I haven’t said anything to anyone about Mick or that baby. I told my parents that we’ve split up but I didn’t tell them anything else. They saw something online about the situation and they called me but I haven’t told them anything.” He said, angrily.

Charles sighed. He headed towards the door and turned back to face Pierre.

“I will find how this all went online.” He insisted.

Pierre just crossed his arms over his chest. Charles left the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

Charles couldn’t help but feel hopeless about the situation. 

He managed to qualify 5th for the race but his mood was dampened when Mick called him. There were still people hovering by the gates outside the house and he was struggling as he couldn't leave. Charles didn’t know what to do, he was stuck on the other side of the world. He could only hope that no one would try and gain access into the grounds or the house.

The race hadn’t gone so well for either Carlos or Charles. Charles’ engine practically blew up half way through the race and Carlos picked up damage on his car whilst battling with Max. He couldn’t help but feel miserable as he lay on his bed whilst he called Mick. He was really worried about the German but he knew that if he asked questions, he would just say he was fine.

“I can’t wait to come home.” Said Charles.

Mick snorted.

“Charles, it’s a triple header, you still have another two races to go before you can come home.” 

Charles sighed. He hated it, he wished Mick was with him.

“How’s Noah?”

“Not sleeping at night, I know it’s kind of normal but mum has been so helpful and I don’t want to keep her up. She already helps so much during the day.” Said Mick.

Charles wished he had Corinna’s number to ask her personally if Mick was dealing with everything but he couldn't call her. He didn’t know her number. 

He spent most of the next day training and was somewhat surprised when Mick called him late on in the afternoon. They were aware that there was a big time difference and so when Charles had been racing, it was night time back in Switzerland. When Charles answered the phone, he could tell that Mick had been crying or was at least crying because Mick was sniffling.

“Mick?”

The German didn’t immediately reply and it worried Charles.

“Mick? Are you alright?” 

The German sniffed.

“I’m sorry, Charles.” 

The Monegasque sat up abruptly in his seat as he listened to Mick.

“Mick, what are you talking about, what’s going on?” He asked, frantically.

“I looked online. I know I shouldn’t have done it but people won’t leave me alone, Charles and I wanted to see what people were saying. I don’t know why I did.” Rambled Mick.

Charles slumped back in his seat and held back a sigh. He had told Mick on multiple occasions to avoid social media but it seemed like Mick couldn’t do it. 

“Mick.”

“I know! I know, I’m sorry! My uncle called me and then I went through my messages. I couldn’t help it and I needed to see what people were saying about me, about us. I nearly threw my phone at the wall when I saw people commenting about Noah. He’s innocent in this, Charles! He’s just a baby and people think he’s disgusting, that he’s a thing from an affair. Then I saw Pierre’s family commenting on things and I had to turn my phone off.”

Charles frowned.

“Pierre’s family, what do you mean? What have they said?”

Mick sighed.

“Charles, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“No, Mick, if Pierre’s family are saying horrible things then I need to talk to him.” Insisted Charles.

“Just leave it, Charles! This whole situation is a mess and if you go and talk to Pierre, it will just make everything worse. Just focus on your racing.”

Charles opened his mouth to reply but Mick hung up. He knew he had to check what was being said about his son online and especially if people were being horrible to Mick. He decided to do it later. 

It wasn’t a nice sight seeing people talk so negatively online about a child who was completely innocent. Not even a child but a defenceless baby. It made Charles’ blood boil. Not even that but people were being so horrible to Mick. He was somewhat glad that Mick wasn’t in the paddock but then again, he was stuck in his own house.

The next morning, Charles was woken up by his phone ringing. It wasn’t until he picked up his phone that he realised it was his mum. He had no idea why she was calling him at such a time but then with the time difference, she probably wasn’t aware of what time it was in America. 

“Mum?”

“Darling, we need to talk.” Insisted Pascale.

Charles immediately sat up in his bed.

“What’s going on?”

There was silence for a moment.

“Mum?”

“I know how the press found out.”

Charles wasn’t expecting that.

“Who told them?” He asked, nervously.

Pascale sighed.

“You need to listen to me carefully, Charles because this wasn’t deliberate.” She insisted.

Charles frowned.

“What do you mean?” 

“You know how I told your brothers?”

“Yes.” Replied Charles, quietly.

“Arthur must have told Carla but I definitely didn’t. She was doing an interview with a company because she has a new job and someone had started asking questions about Arthur and then you. I think it slipped out, I think she was pressured into giving an answer. It wasn’t until it all came out online and she looked into the company that she realised that the person who had conducted the interview was actually a journalist. She didn’t tell Arthur at first, she felt so guilty. I only found out yesterday and I thought I would call you this morning to let you know.”

Charles didn’t respond. He didn’t know what to say. The amount of grief he had been getting and the amount of grief that Mick was getting was because a young girl had been pressured into giving an answer. It hadn’t been Pierre, he had been telling the truth. He would need to apologise. He ran a hand through his hair and over his face.

“Charles?”

“I’m still here, mum.” Said Charles, softly.

“Carla is really sorry.” Said Pascale.

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to tell anyone?” Asked Pascale.

Charles sighed.

“Probably Mick but I don’t know. This was going to come out at some point. At least it wasn’t intentional.” 

“Do you want me to give Carla your number so she can call you?” 

“No, it’s fine, mum. I’ll message her on instagram.” Insisted Charles.

“Are you angry with her?”

“No.”

Pascale sighed.

“I’m so sorry that you’ve had to deal with this, darling.”

“It’s got to come to an end soon, hopefully.”

Charles knew it was probably optimistic, this was big news that was out in the open. He had to deal with the fact that people hated him, not just Pierre but Pierre’s family and fans. He ended the call with his mum and his finger hovered over Mick’s name in his list of contacts as he debated on whether or not to tell him. He decided not to hide it and he called the German.

“Hello?”

Charles bit his lip nervously as Mick sounded tired. He decided not to ask what time it was.

“My mum called me.” 

“What did she say?” 

“It was Carla. She didn’t call the press, it wasn’t deliberate but apparently she had a new job and she was in an interview and getting asked questions. It came out by pressure.” 

“Who is Carla?” Asked Mick, confused.

“Arthur’s girlfriend.”

When Mick didn’t respond, Charles sighed.

“I don’t know what was said in the interview but I know Carla and I know that she wouldn’t deliberately call someone to tell them. She wouldn’t cause trouble like that by getting the press involved.”

Mick still remained silent.

“Mick?”

“I’m tired, Charles. I’m sick and tired of getting death threats and horrible people calling me every name under the sun. You know what hurts me the most? The fact that people are bringing our child into this, I can’t accept that.”

“We shouldn’t have to deal with this, Mick.” Said Charles, sadly.

“No, we shouldn’t.”

Mick hung up and Charles threw his phone across the room.

When would this end?

Charles bumped into Pierre again as the Frenchman was checking into the hotel in Mexico. He had not long come back from a run and he saw his ex standing at the reception. He walked up to him, ignoring Pyry giving him a stange look.

“Can we talk?” Asked Charles.

Pierre raised an eyebrow and ignored him as the receptionist gave him a room key.

“I know you told the press.”

Pierre’s eyes went wide as he stared back at the Monegasque. He nodded and picked up his suitcase before he headed to his room followed by Charles and Pyry. When they all walked into the room, Pyry headed towards the door.

“I’ll give you a minute. I’m not getting involved.” He said, firmly.

He left the room as Charles paced around whilst Pierre sat down on the end of his bed.

“Well?”

Charles sighed.

“I want to apologise for implying that you may have had something to do with this. Only a few people know about the situation and my mum or Corinna wouldn’t go to the press. Mick certainly wouldn’t which is why I thought of you.” He apologised.

Pierre nodded.

“So who did tell the press?”

“It wasn’t deliberate, at least not to my understanding. It was Carla, my brother’s girlfriend. My mum called me yesterday and told me. Carla was in an interview or something, she has a new job. I don’t entirely know what was said or asked but someone obviously asked questions about Arthur and then myself and it came out. She was pressured into it. My mum told my brothers so clearly Arthur told Carla.”

Pierre sighed.

“I can’t believe it.”

“Carla wouldn’t do this to cause trouble, Pierre. She’s not like that, I swear.” Insisted Charles.

Pierre looked into Charles’ eyes as the Monegasque had stopped pacing and he could tell he was telling the truth. He had known him too long to know when Charles was lying, he just didn’t know about the affair because he was completely oblivious to certain things.

“Thank you for telling me.” Said Pierre, gratefully.

Charles nodded.

“I thought you should know since people have been hounding you too.” 

He moved to leave but then paused.

“Pierre.”

The Frenchman gazed into Charles’ eyes. He looked nervous.

“I know I have no right to ask this but could you maybe have words with your family and friends? It’s just, Mick called me the other day and he was really upset because he looked online and he’s been getting a lot of grief. I know it’s deserved alright but I looked at some of the comments and some of your family made really horrible comments about Noah. They have every right to be angry, Pierre. If they want to scream and shout at me, I’ll accept that. All I ask is that Noah isn’t brought into this, he’s just a baby.”

Charles couldn’t tell but Pierre looked shocked. He decided not to wait for an answer and he walked out of the room.

The following two weeks were difficult for both Chalres and Mick. Charles was still being asked questions about his affair and Noah, he was still being followed nearly everywhere. It only died down slightly. It didn’t help that Guenther would glare at him anytime they were in close range, probably because of all the grief Haas were getting as well about whether Mick would still be driving for them in 2022. Mick and his mum had been stuck in their house for a while. They were now at the point where the police had banned people from standing right outside the gates but it didn’t stop people hovering in the streets. It meant that Mick couldn’t go out on a walk around the area on his own. His mum would have to drive out, lose the various cars and they would go as far away as they could to escape and get some peace. 

Charles found it difficult talking to Mick on the phone. Sometimes the German was fine and they would spend hours talking and other times, the calls were short and on several occasions, Mick would hang up. Charles could only hope that it was because Mick was tired and fed up. He prayed that the German didn’t want to end their relationship so soon. 

After the race in Brazil, Charles left to fly back to Switzerland. Mick was in tears when Charles had last called him.

“I miss you.” Murmured Mick.

Charles couldn’t help but think about Mick’s voice, how tired he had sounded. Thankfully, they would be able to spend nearly two weeks with one another before Charles was away to Australia. He couldn’t think about that now. 

The Monegasque had no idea what time it was when he landed in Switzerland but that didn’t matter, what mattered was getting to Mick and Noah. It wasn’t long before he was in a taxi and travelling to Mick’s house. He felt so happy when the car stopped at the gates and they opened up for him. The front door was open so he quickly thanked the driver and paid him before grabbing his suitcase from the boot and almost bolted into the house. It felt like it was empty, surely someone was home. He dropped his suitcase onto the floor and debated about whether or not to head upstairs or go through to the living room. The decision was taken out of his hands when Mick appeared in the doorway of the living room. His eyes were red and Charles could feel tears gathering in his own eyes. Mick sobbed and ran right into Charles’ arms. The Monegasque let the young man sob into his shoulder as he held him tight. When Mick was able to control his tears, he pulled back and cupped Charles’ face in his hands before he kissed him. Once they ran out of breath, they rested their foreheads against one another.

“I’ve missed you so much.” Whispered Mick.

Charles smiled softly.

“It’s so good to be back.” 

There was a noise from the living room and Mick smiled as he pulled away from Charles but grabbed his hand.

“Noah has missed you.”

Charles smiled as he let Mick drag him away from the hallway. He gasped when he saw Noah lying in his Moses basket which was sitting on the sofa. His son was nearly two months old now and he was so big already. He let go of Mick’s hand to walk over to Noah.

“Hey baby.”

He gently picked up his son and cradled him in his arms. He carefully sat down on the sofa as Noah stretched in his arms. Mick sat down beside him and rested his head on Charles’ shoulder.

“I’ve missed this.” He whispered.

Charles sighed.

“Me too.”

For the next couple of days, Mick enjoyed spending time with Charles. He needed this, he needed time with the Monegasque and they were both able to spend time with Noah. Charles took over the night feeds and Corinna was pleased to see as she visited the couple that Mick was looking better. Her son was thankfully sleeping better too. They all knew that people wouldn’t forget about what had happened but at least they could enjoy each other’s company for a bit and forget about the outside world. 

A couple of days later, Charles travelled to Maranello. He ate breakfast with Mick and gently kissed him goodbye before he kissed his son’s temple and left the house. 

A couple of hours later, Corinna let a car into the grounds as the alarm went off. She didn’t know who it was apart from knowing that it was a man and that he wanted to speak to Mick. She had to take a call so went upstairs but informed Mick that someone was looking for him. There was a knock at the door. Mick went to open it and was shocked to see Pierre Gasly standing on the doorstep. He had no idea how the Frenchman knew his address but he didn’t want to know. Without a word, Pierre stepped into the house, leaving Mick stunned. Pierre walked into the kitchen, looked around and walked out. Mick then realised that he was looking for something or someone. He felt sick when Pierre headed into the living room. Noah was in there, he was sleeping in his Moses basket. He followed Pierre and found the Frenchman gazing down at the baby. Mick didn’t know what to do, he just prayed that Pierre wouldn’t hurt his son. He stood nervously near the door unsure if he wanted to be near Pierre even though he wanted to protect his son. 

Pierre couldn’t help but admire the baby. When he looked at Noah, all he could see was Mick. He looked nothing like Charles and Pierre could see blond on top of the baby’s head. He had made the decision to come and visit Mick and the baby. It was only because of Ferrari’s social media that he knew about Charles being in Maranello. Pierre knew that if there was the possibility of Noah being in the paddock, he had to see him beforehand. If he had seen the baby and realised that he was like Charles, he didn’t think he could deal with that. Even though Mick had been a part of the reason why Pierre and Charles had split up, the Frenchman did feel slightly more relaxed about Noah looking like Mick.

“He’s so cute.” Whispered Pierre.

Mick was started.

“Thank you?” It came out as a question.

He had no idea why Pierre was in his house or complimenting his child. 

“I’m sorry for barging in here but I had to see him.” 

Mick frowned.

“Charles isn’t here.”

Pierre looked up at the young man.

“I know, I came to see Noah and apologise to you.” 

“Me?” Asked Mick.

Pierre sighed.

“I’m really sorry that my family and friends were posting horrible things about you and Noah. I didn't ask them to. They have every right to be angry but that gives them no excuse to write such horrible things about a baby.” 

Mick was stunned. He couldn’t believe that Pierre was apologising to him.

“I’m sorry about all of this, Pierre. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” He said, softly.

Pierre shook his head.

“I can’t forgive you and I can’t forgive Charles but all I will say is that baby of yours deserves none of the hate given his way.” 

Mick moved out of the way as Pierre headed towards the door. The German stayed silent as Pierre looked over his shoulder at Noah, nodded at him and then walked out of the house. He headed towards the sofa and sat down next to the Moses basket. He couldn’t help but hold one of Noah’s hands, smiling as his son clutched his finger.

That night, when Charles returned to Switzerland, he found Mick cradling Noah in his arms as he soothed him to sleep. He smiled at the sight and watched as Mick put him down in his crib. Mick gazed down at his son and tried not to jump when a pair of arms wrapped his waist.

“Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.”

Mick leaned back into Charles’ chest.

“Pierre was here earlier.” Murmured Mick.

“What?!”

Mick gently shushed Noah as the baby whined in his sleep. He then turned around in Charles’ arms and rested his hands on the Monegasque’s shoulders. 

“It was fine, he apologised about the comments his family had posted online.” 

Charles huffed.

“You know, I’ve realised at the end of the day, no matter what’s going on, Noah is what’s important. He’s innocent in all of this and I will do everything to protect him.” Insisted Mick.

Charles smiled.

“He’s really something, isn’t he?”

Mick smiled and leaned in to close the gap as he gently kissed the Monegasque. They pulled apart when they ran out of air and Mick turned around again as the couple gazed down at their son.

“You are so loved, Noah. We love you.” Whispered Mick.


End file.
